When he volunteered to go to Okinawa as part of the replacement troops, Marine Corps
First Lieutenant Tony Fileff was unprepared for the "utter destruction" that he observed
upon landing on the island. Arriving midway through the battle, he was stunned to see the
devastating effects of the war on the Okinawan civilian population, as well as on the
Japanese and American forces. Witnessing starving and wounded women and children
crawl out of their hiding places in caves left an indelible mark on the young Marine.